It seems that letter writer Rodney J. Lines fell for the POTUS projection of the national security issue at the Mexican border.

These two men don’t seem to understand what asylum means. This is a humanitarian issue, which both governments have known about for weeks.

A “rare opportunity for real training and practical use of their skills.” It seems to me that loading a gun and shooting at women and children is the same no matter where you do it. Practicing with tear gas does not solve the problem. It may have been better for both governments to send social workers instead of soldiers.

I pray that when the day comes and we do have a real national security issue we won’t need any practice.

Thank you for your excellent editorial describing the recent heinous murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the unfortunate and unacceptable failure by our president to hold Saudi Arabia accountable.

The comment by our president published in another source when referring to the incident and surrounding circumstances that “It is what it is” left me speechless.

Jamal was a crusader who championed values deep in the hearts of all Americans and our brothers and sisters in all freedom-loving countries worldwide and he should be remembered forever.

— Rich Locasso, Hemet

Coming vs. leaving

I wish letter writer Ion Puschila had included a reference substantiating his claim that “Rich people are coming, not leaving, California” (Letters, Nov. 14).

First, anybody who earns millions of dollars a year is smart enough (and can afford) to have a home in a low-tax state and maintain residency there and not pay California income taxes.

Second, an easy way to tell the ratio of coming to leaving is check the prices of U-Haul trucks traveling from California to, say, Texas compared to going the other way.

It costs three times as much for a one-way rental from Los Angeles to Austin as it does from Austin to L.A. because there is already a glut of trucks in Austin from working-class families that have left California.

Nick Sibilla writes more jobs could be created by eliminating many of the licenses required to work in certain professions. Overall this is a bad idea.

One good example is the State Contractors License Board, which issues licenses and regulates contractors involved in the building trades. The contractors range from those who trim and cut trees to those who build freeways.

Licensing laws require those who have a contractor’s license have experience, can clear a criminal background check, can pass a skills test and be able to obtain the required bonding.

The licensing requirements protect the public. Why remove the protections to the public just because there are those who can’t handle the requirements?

Teaching trades in schools and improving education would be a far better cure for job creation as opposed to dumbing down protections to consumer.

The newspaper laments the tremendous cost of the War on Terror. Trump sees foreign intervention as a waste. Yet Congress allocates $800 billion to the military.

The porous southern border, rising seas, drought-ravaged forests, vulnerable power and information systems, as well as other domestic security issues and emergencies, could be addressed with cross-trained army personnel and military industry.

As long as it’s overseen by the Pentagon, it seems money is no object when creating a budget. It’s time “America first” is reflected in our military priorities.

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